Method and machine for printing articles



Oct. 8, 1935. H, A. MYERS METHGD AND MACHINE FOR PRINTING ARTICLES Filed Oct. 3, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet l- Oct. 8, 1935. H. A. MYERS 2,016,450

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR PRINTING ARTICLES Filed Oct. 3, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 8, 1935. H. A. MYERS METHOD AND MACHINE FOR PRINTING ARTICLES Filed Oct. 5, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet I5 0d. 8, 1935. H. A. MYERS 2,016,450

I METHOD AND MACHINE FOR PRINTING ARTICLES Filed Oct. 5, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Oct. 8, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD AND MACHINE FOR PRINTING ARTICLES 11 Claims.

My invention has for its object to provide a machine and method for printing elastic bodies, the elasticity of the bodies being utilized for the proper placement of the bodies with reference to the ink transferring surfaces of desired design and which it is desired to imprint upon the bodies. The invention particularly relates to a machine for producing accurate and defined printed lines throughout substantially the entire area of a curved surface of an elastic body. In the preferred form of structure, portions of the elastic body are depressed to produce slight elongation in one direction to permit covering other portions by circularly arranged print blocks or type that may be placed so as to substantially enclose a portion of the elastic body, means being provided for allowing expansion of the depressed portions to place the surface of the body in contact with the ink transferring or printing surface. Also means may be provided for causing local expansion towards the printing blocks or type to increase the pressure of its wall against the ink transferring parts to insure the transferrence of the ink or coloring material to the surface of the elastic body.

The invention consists in other features and advantages which will appear from the following description and upon examination of the drawings. forms The invention may partake of different and may be varied in their details and employ varying process steps of varying order and still embody the invention. To illustrate a practical application of the invention, I have selected a balloon printing machine embodying the invention as an example of the various structures and the details of such structures, that contain the invention, and shall describe the selected structure and preferred method of operation hereinafter, it being understood that variations may be made and that certain features of my invention may be used to advantage without corresponding use of other features of the invention and without departing from the spirit of the invention. The particular structure selected is shown in the accompanying drawings.

Fig. Fig. 2

1 is a perspective View of the machine. is a view of a longitudinal section of the Fig.

3 illustrates a section of the machine when the parts are in printing contact with the balloon.

Fig. 4 chine.

the machine.

for depositing ink on the ink transferring members.

Fig. 7 illustrates a section of a part of the machine showing the ink pad in position to deposit ink on the ink transferring member.

The machine selected as an example, and shown in the drawings, is illustrative of a simple structure embodying the elements of my invention. 5 It has a suitable supporting frame I that is provided with suitable ways 2 in which are located a pair of printing blocks 3. The blocks may be provided with suitable printing surfaces substantially semi-spheroidal in form, and have suitable 10 ink or transmitting surfaces 4 for printing the surface of balloons that are also substantially spheroidal in form. The type or printing blocks may partake of any form or contain any subject matter and, if desired, may be made removable within the blocks 3.

The blocks 3 may be shifted towards each other by means of a pair of arms 1 that are geared together by means of two pairs of sectors 8. The arms and sectors are rotatably supported by shafts ll located in suitable brackets 9 that are secured to the frame I. The arms may be manipulated by a suitable lever H! that is connected to one of the shafts II that interconnect the gears and the arms located on opposite sides of the frame I. v

The balloons are filled with air and expand to a uniform size. In order to prevent contact of the surface of the balloon with the inked surfaces during the enclosing movement of the blocks 3, the balloon may be elongated in advance of the closing movement so as to allow the printing blocks to be placed over the end portions of the balloon. A plate I5 is located between the blocks 3. The plate It: has a plurality of depressing members, such as the plates 56, having inner overlapping portions and inner curved edge portions ll forming a substantially continuous circle, as large or slightly larger than the major diameter of the concavities of the blocks 3. The plate I5 is provided with an opening it that is also larger than the major diameter of the hemispheroidal concavities of the blocks 3, for receiving the equatorial portions of the balloons. A

- cam member 29 is supported by means of a plurality of pins 2i that extend through radially extending slots 23 that are formed in the plate [5 and are connected to the plates H5. The cam member 28 is, preferably, circular in form and is provided with a plurality of cam slots 22 that operate on the pins 2| to move the pins 2| along the slots 23 and, consequently, operate to move the plates is inwardly to form substantially a circle of diminishing diameter along the combined inner edges of the plates Hi. When, therefore, a

balloon is located within the opening I8 and the annular cam member 25 is rotated, the equatorial portion of the balloon will be depressed which operates to elongate the balloon and reduce the diameter located in the plane of the plate I5, and reduce the diameters of circular sections of the balloon on opposite sides of the plate I5 and in planes that are parallel to the plate 55 to enable the placement of the blocks over the ends of the balloons without contact with the balloons with the ink transferring surfaces of the blocks. The blocks 3 are, preferably, provided with flange portions 25 that enter within the opening 5 8 and the annular cam 20 and enable the edges of the flanges of the blocks 3 to contact within the inner edges of the plate E5 and the cam member 25.

Where the balloons are to be printed with a plurality of colors, a plurality of sets of blocks 3 may be provided having the desired colors located on the ink transferring surfaces of the blocks and, in order to insure registering of the colors, the balloon is, preferably, located within the plate I5 and depressed equatorially by operation of the cam 20, whereby the balloon is secured in position in the plate I5 and the plate I5, together with the enclosed or secured balloon, may be transferred from one machine to another, or may be conveyed by a suitable conveyor from between one pair of blocks to another pair of blocks, the blocks having previously received different colors of ink. In the particular form of printing machine shown in the drawings, the plate I5 is secured in position by means of two pairs of brackets 28 and 29 located on opposite sides of the machine and having portions 313 located in opposed and parallel positions and spaced apart Sllfl'lClGI'ltlY to receive and hold in position the plate I5. The plate I 5 may be removably secured by pins 3| that extend through the brackets and the plate I5 whereby the plate 65 and the balloon may be held in a position that will register with the surfaces of each pair of blocks 3, in the sequential printing operations.

The blocks are moved over the ends of the balloon by operation of the arms I and when the flanges 25, of the blocks 3, are about to make contact with each other, the balloon is released and allowed to expand in its equatorial region by movement of the cam 25 which brings the exterior surface of the balloon against the printing surfaces of the blocks by movement of contiguous portions of the surface of the balloons in a direction that is substantially radial with respect to the center of the space formed within the blocks when they are thus closed. This may be accomplished automatically during the movement of the arms I.

In the form of construction shown, one of the arms I is provided with a cam member 35 having a cam slot 36 and a lever 31 is pivotally supported on the bracket 38, that is connected to the frame I of the machine. The lever 31 has a pin 40 located within the slot 35 and, consequently, the lever 31 may be operated by movement of the cam member 35 which moves with one of the arms I. The movement of the lever 31 will be dependent upon the shape of the cam slot 35. One end portion 42 of the cam slot is arcuate, having its center in the axis of the shaft II to which the arm I, that carries the cam 35, is connected, and, consequently, the lever 31 is not actuated as the portion 42 of the cam moves over the pin ID. The other end of the cam slot 36, however, is provided with a portion that recedes from the axis of the shaft II about which the cam member 35 rotates and, as the pin 40 moves into the portion 43 of the cam slot, the lever 3| is raised which rotates the cam member 23 in a direction to release the depressed portion of the balloon. Upon the reverse movement of the arm 5 I, the cam moves over the pin 40 to lower the lever 37 and move the plates 23 inwardly to depress the equatorial portion of the balloon and thereby reduce the dimensions of sections of the balloon in planes parallel to the plate I5 and It) thus prevent wiping of the surfaces of the balloon on the printing surfaces of the blocks 3, as the blocks are withdrawn.

The lever 31 is connected to the arm 26 by means of the rod 56 and a removable pin 41. 15 Consequently, in the transferring of the balloon, either by a conveyor or otherwise, to another pair of blocks having a color different from those from which the balloon is transferred, the pin ll may be readily disconnected from the arm 26 and 20 again reconnected locating the arm 25 in the same definite position with respect to the plate I5 that it had before it was removed from between the preceding pair of blocks that operated upon the balloon. The succeeding pair of blocks 25 may again be operated in the same manner to first closely position the blocks about the substantiaily hemispherical portions of the balloons protruding from the opposite sides of the plate I5, and the balloon will be again released as before 30 by the operation of the cam 35 and the lever 31.

If desired, means may be provided for increasing the outward pressure of the balloon while enclosed within the blocks, if the contact produced by the releasement of the plates 23 is not sufficient 35 to make the desired impression or the desired definiteness of outline. This may be accomplished by depressing the portions 50 of the balloon located at the center of the blocks 3. The depression of the portions 33 increases the pres- 4 sure of the surface of the balloon against the printing surfaces of the blocks, except, of course, those portions that are located contiguous to the portions 50. The depression of the portions 50 may be performed by means of plungers 5! that are 45 movably supported in the centers of the blocks that may be operated by means of levers 52, pins 53 that engage the levers 52, levers 54 that are connected to the pins 53, a cable 55 that connects contiguous ends of the levers 54, and the foot 5 pedal 55 that is connected to the cable 55. The levers 52 are bell crank levers and have pin and slot connections 5? with the plungers 5I. The pins 53 slidably move in sleeves 53 that are supported on the frame and are, preferably, spring 55 pressed by means of the springs 59 to cause the pins to release the levers 52, the levers 52 being so weighted as to draw the plungers 5| outward. The ends of the levers 54 are connected to the pins 53 by the pin and slot connections 60. The 60 levers are supported on suitable brackets 6| mounted on the frame I and so as to locate their ends in proximity to each other. The cable 55 is provided with a stirrup 62 which is connected by means of a pin and slot 63 formed and located in 6 the contiguous ends of the levers 54. The cable 55 is secured in a suitable manner to the pedal 53 which is also pivotally supported in a bracket 54 that is supported on the frame I.

In order to ink the substantially semispherical surfaces of the blocks, a pad 68 is preferably formed of an elastic wall 69 and covered by an absorbent material III that will absorb the ink that is to be placed upon the ink transferring surfaces of the blocks 3. Preferably, the ink con- 7 veying part of the pad 68 is semi-oval and has a diameter such that it may be inserted well within the concavities of the blocks 3 and, when located within the blocks 3, pressure of the pad will cause radial expansion of the portion of the pad located within the block. This will convey the ink that is located on the surface of the pad to the printing surfaces of the block. Preferably, the pad is provided with a base member II of rigid material, such as wood, and with a handle 12 for manipulating the pad. Also, preferably, the handle has a passageway 13 that communicates with the interior of the pad 68 and by means of a suitable pipe 14 air may be introduced in the pad to produce the desired expansion of the ink charged material 10 and to vary its size to make it adaptable to the printing surfaces of the blocks 3 that have different diameters.

The blocks 3 are moved to the ends of the frame I and then the pads 68 are inserted, first in one block and then in the other, to place the desired amount of ink on the printing surfaces of the blocks. A balloon is placed within the plate I and the plate is conveyed to or located between the blocks 3. In the form shown, the plate is secured by means of the pins 3! and the connection with the lever 31 is made by means of the pin 41 I which connects the arm 26 and the link 46 to each other. The central portion of the balloon is thus depressed to the required degree and the blocks are brought together and when in juxtaposition, with respect to each other, the central portion of the balloon is released which places the surface of the balloon in contact with the surfaces of the blocks. The plungers 5| may then be pressed inward to cause the desired outward pressure of all parts of the balloon except the portions depressed by the plungers M. The plungers 5| are released and the arms I are swung outwardly which elongates the balloon and enables outward movement of the blocks without wiping the surfaces of the balloon. This produces a distinct printed outline of any desired form over substantially the entire surface of the balloon.

If it is desired to print a plurality of colors on the balloon, the plate l5 may be removed and conveyed to a point between another pair of blocks that have received the desired colored ink by the use of a pad similar in form to the pad 68 and the operation is repeated.

I claim:

1. The method of printing elastic bodies which consists in elongating each body polarily, locating the body within a printing member and then expanding the body equatorially to make contact with an ink transferring surface.

2. The method of printing elastic bodies which consists in elongating each body and inserting the body in an ink transferring member and shortening the body in the axis of its previous elongation.

3. The method of printing elastic bodies which consists in elongating each body, inserting the body within an ink transferring member and then expanding the body equatorially to make contact with an ink transferring member and depressing portions of the body to produce increased pressure 6. In a printing machine for printing an elas- Y tic body, a concave ink transferring member, means for depressing a portion of the body to reduce the dimensions of another portion of the body to enable insertion in the concavity of the ink transferring member and for subsequently expanding the portion of the body within the concavity.

'I. In a printing machine for printing an elastic body, a pair of concave ink transferring members, means for moving the concave ink transferring members towards each other, means for elongating and shortening the said body to produce contact of the body with the ink transferring surfaces of the said members.

8. In a. printing machine for printing an elastic body, a concave ink transferring member, means for elongating and shortening the said body to produce contact of the body with the ink transferring surface of the member, a member removably connected to the machine for supporting the said elongating and shortening means.

9. The method of printing elastic bodies which consists in exerting pressure on a portion of each body to reduce one dimension, inserting the body in a concave printing member while the said portion is submitted to the said pressure and then releasing the said portion from the said pressure to cause printing contact of the said portion with the printing member.

10. In a printing machine for printing elastic bodies, a concave ink transferring member, a holding member for securing the elastic body in position relative to the concave ink transferring member, and means for removably securing the holding member in a predetermined position to locate the said elastic body in a predetermined position with reference to the concave ink transferring member whereby the elastic body may be placed in positions to receive ink from any one of a plurality of ink transferring members.

11. In a printing machine for printing an elastic body, a pair of concave ink transferring members, a holding member for securing the elastic body in position relative to the convave ink transferring member, and means for extending the body polarily and contracting the body equatorily, and means for locating the elastic body in the ink transferring members, and means for removably securing the holding member in a predetermined position to'locate the said elastic body in a predetermined position whereby the body may be placed in positions to receive ink from a plurality of pairs of ink transferring members.

HUBERT A. MYERS. 

